Every winter in Eureka, California, wastewater overloads the aging sewage system, and thousands of gallons of raw sewage flush into streets, neighborhoods and directly into Humboldt Bay. These problems pose serious health and safety risks, but the City of Eureka has done nothing to prevent future spills.
In February, EPIC gave the City a 60-Day Notice that we will sue in federal court if they do not immediately correct these egregious violations of the Clean Water Act and other laws.
Storm-drains, industrial facilities and sewage systems within the greater Eureka area are connected to the City’s Elk River Wastewater Treatment Plant. This system cannot carry the peak loads of wastewater it receives, and frequent "bypasses" occur when untreated sewage overflows from manholes and pump stations before it reaches the treatment plant. The vile odors and other problems this produces have led to numerous complaints over the years, with some businesses reporting stenches so overwhelming that customers and employees stayed away.
The actual number of bypasses the City has reported is shocking: more than 400,000 gallons of untreated sewage discharged into streets, neighborhoods and/or Humboldt Bay just since 1997. Some spills have been very large, including one that lasted for several hours and spewed more than 100,000 gallons, and another that continued for two days and spilled an unknown volume. In both of these cases, raw sewage went directly into Humboldt Bay at Martin Slough.
By the City's own admission in its "Greater Eureka Wastewater Project" brochure, these violations present "a serious threat to: public health, future economic development…the delicate ecology of Humboldt Bay, [and] endangered and threatened species living in and around the Bay, including the majestic Redwoods." They also note that "several times in the past few years, contamination from the sewage system has forced local officials to close the oyster beds" in Humboldt Bay.
Even though the City admits that their sewage system can't handle the amount of wastewater it receives, they have only made this situation worse. They continue to permit additional "hook-ups" into the system while never increasing its capacity. The Eureka City Council also reallocated more than a million dollars that had been budgeted to address these problems, now using this money to construct a boardwalk around Humboldt Bay instead of alleviating the damage it is causing to this important area.
The City has until April to finally put an end to these long-standing violations of the public trust. If they continue to refuse to do so, EPIC will see them in Federal Court.
This effort is part of EPIC's ongoing work to protect and restore Humboldt Bay. To learn more about our Humboldt Bay Initiative or how you can become involved, please contact Cynthia at (707) 923-2931.
